Wheeled toy



May 4, l948 F. R. HIGLEY 2,440,747

WHEELED TOY Filed March 24, 1945 INVENTOR,

Patented May 4,w 1948 L t.

UNITEosTATEs PATENT f oFFicE WHEELED rroy l Frank n. Higley, clevelandneighta'ohio v Application March 24,1945,seria1 No. 584,595 f Thisinvention relatesto toys and more p51- ticularly to wheeled toys havingchromatic eiect and adapted to be pushed or pulled on floor or sidewalk.

Objects of this invention are to provide such a toy wherein asymmetrical color pattern is displayed changeable at the will of theoperator by the` simple expedient of changing the rate of travel of thetoy.

An important object is to so bias the chromatic units of the device thatthe most eifective color patterns will be displayed, as will appear.

Other objects are to provide such a toy inexpensively, in the simplestassembly of the fewest numberof parts, yet rugged and adapted foreasyjuvenile'operation.

Further objects of the'invention will be apparent from the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings whereinFigs. 1, 2 and 3 illustrate an embodiment of the invention constructedof wood and metal, in side, plan and front elevation respectively.

l is .a base mounted upon a wheel 2, the base I having a suitablepush-pull handle, the shank portion 3 only of which handle appears inthe drawing. As illustrated, the principle parts being of wood, thescrew 4 by which the wheel and base are interconnected, is disposed atan angle such that lche bearing of the Wheel on the surface A over whichthe toy is to be operated, will be in the plane of the shank 3; andpreferably also the line of the shank is directed well below the centerof the wheel so as to provide somewhat of a caster effect in operation.

A carrier 5 which may be of the disk shape illustrated is rotatedlymounted upon the base I as by an upright spindle E bearing in the latterand extending therethrough. Preferably the spindle 6 is centered asillustrated in the plane of the handle shank 3 and of the tractionbearing of the wheel 2.

The carrier 5 is of sucient transverse dimension to overhang the wheel 2to be driven thereby as through friction bearing on the top thereof; toinsure such drive, the wheel 2 may have the rubber tire 2a and thespindle 6 may have a spring 6a.

A plurality of chromatic units 1, three being shown, which may be in theform of metal disks, are mounted in symmetrical concentric dispositionon the carrier 5 for rotation about their individual axes, as by thescrews 8. The units 1 are similarly colored, each bearing three colorsdisposed in a 120 segment. As indicated in the drawings the colors arethe primary ones, red,

s claires. l(ci. rs- 204)` y yellow land blue, the descriptionVhereinafter willapply thereto `as such, but it will be understood thatanother set of colors, such as red, white and blue, could `be employedif preferred.

At any rate, the colored units 1 are` similarly indexed or oriented withrespect to therotating axis of the carrier 5, about which theirindividual axes are symmetrically disposed. Means are provided formaintaining symmetrical orientation of theunits 1 while permitting themadjustment about their ax-es. As Lhere shown such means comprisesarubber band 9jV disposed as abelt about tabs 9a arranged to providegenerallyM annular ange eiect on the i- ,l

In operation, the toybeing pushed or pulled over the oor or pavement,the `carrier 5 is driven by the wheel `2Vcarr5`fingthe units 1, theunits whirling about the common axis, that of the carrier 5, andproducing a color pattern symmetrical thereabout. lIhe units beingsymmetrically oriented with the common axis, the pattern which theypresent includes always a central area of one color with an annularborder thereabout of another color, one of the colors of the patternalways being a primary one and the other a secondary color complementarythereto. In the position of the units shown, the pattern will comprise alarge center of yellow and smaller border of purple; it being notablethat the outline of the center color area is approximately a hexagon sothat there is a relatively sharp delineation in the pattern between thecenter and border colors.

Were the disks shifted upon their individual axes clockwise from theillustrated positions, the pattern produced would comprise a largercenter, of orange, and a narrower border of blue, the one shading intothe other through a relatively wide annular zone.

Since the plurality of units, interconnected by the belt 9 are notconstrained from movement on their individual axes, either accelerationor deceleration of the toy in its travel will cause ad- A justment ofthe units on their axes, because of their inertia, resolved into atendency to lag or lead, as the case may be; so that the pattern willthereby be automatically changed. When the toy is stopped after travel,inertia of the units 1 will provide a live and colorful effect lingeringafter the annular pattern is no longer apparent.

It may be noted that, there being but six tabs 9a provided per unit 1,and these being oriented relative to the face color patterns of theunits as indicated, and there being three units employed, there is atendency in the assembly to always maintain one of the primary colorseither innermost or outermost of the common axis; so that in effect thepatterns in operation while variable, have yieldable bias for the bestadvantage.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: 1. A toy of the classdescribed comprising a wheeled base, carrier means mounted on said basein rotatably driven relation with Wheel means thereof, and a pluralityof chromatic units mounted on said carrier about its axis foradjustmentv upon: their;y individuals.axesebwinertiai. whereby during'travelling operatiorr:offthe.-;t0i, said units Will present a concentriccolor pattern changeable responsive to change in rate of traiteli;V 2. Atoy of the class described comprising a.

,individualaaxesa by inertia, each-` unit4 bearing three colors,similarly disposed iinthreeequal sec tor areas, similarly indexedrelative to said carrier axis, and means for maintaining the indexedrelation of said units while permitting their said base, carrier meansrotatably mounted on'wsaidifwadustment.

base, a Wheel for said base ar-rangediztef'havef ground bearingsubstantially in line with the car rier axis and drivingengagement:'lvl/ritht.saidcane` rier beside said axis; handle means for.said base disposed in the plane of` said axis, and a pluralityoiohromatic units mounted on said carrier about itsiaxis' for:adjustment upontheirindiviizliiall axes by'l inertia responsive i to'changes inrateot' travel of the toy:

3., A toyof' the-fj class described* comprisingVl -a Wheeled"v base, 1carrierL means rotatably mounted orrsaidi base in drivenrelationuwitlr-Wheelmeans t'hefreorf;l and :1t-plurality'I of',v chromatic unitsmountedL orr said'carrieriabout itsgaxis forv aduste menti uponvtheirindividual{axes'vbyinertiaJ during operation' of they toy;l saidAunits having-similar facepatterns; similarly indexed;A relative to saidcarrier laxis; andmeans'interccnneetingrmid-:units for maintaining'their index-edl relationv while-per'- mittingsaid adjustment. y Y

4: In'a ohromatidfdevice'.- aca-Trier mounte'dfor rotationatzvaryingispeed; a-pluralty-o chromatic units mountedZ onVsaiidcarrier"about` itskk axis for kall .Salm a.u chromatic devicehaving rotatably mounted carrier means and a plurality of chromane.mounted thereon about the axis thereof for adjustment about theirindividual axes by their own inertia: means for causingsaid units tocooperatively present a single unied pattern 'oerrl'fin'uousa,"4 inannular:y character' but of. changing color coni-bin'ations;v and'vcomprisimgr means lferdriving'saidcarrier 'meansL continuously in onedirection with alternate acceleration-and deceleration;

allemandes Aonzen Number Name' "Date $4,628 VanY Altena Aug: 28; 1'87'72082351 VanA'ltena- Sept24 v18'78 889,729- Slater: ..-f eJLlne ZJ 1908

